At the end of 1931, nearly the whole family is in the US. Only Mary Ellen, Sarah’s daughter-in-law and wife of James Thomas, and their five children are still in England, in Liverpool. And there is another record. In 1932, Mary Ellen’s youngest son, James T. junior, dies in England. The father is in the US already at this time. In the following year, on the 24th June 1933, also Mary Ellen and her children travel to the US. They go onboard the ship “Laconia” of the Cunard Line and arrive in New York on the 4th July 1933. What a sad and still happy reunion this must have been …

From now on, the story continues in New York. James Thomas and Mary Ellen get another child. On 22nd August 1934, their daughter Caroline is born. During the US census of 1940, the family lives in Manhattan, 106 West 89th street. Only the father is not listed anymore. In the record, of Mary Ellen is a W for widow, but it seems stroked through later and replaced with an M (married). It remains unclear where James Thomas is in 1940 and whether he still is alive.

Sarah Engellenner is now 74 years old. She does not live at her children’s place anymore. She is listed as an aunt of Hugh O’Donnell in the 1940 US census and lives with his family in Brooklyn (465 Park Place). The last record currently from her, my step-great-grandmother, is from September in the year 1944. She is 78 years old and finally applies for naturalization.

Next: The daughter Sarah